Collapse of public services being masked by 'reform' - Gemma Brolly, Aontú

Ms Brolly was speaking at a press conference ahead of her party’s annual think-in, which took place in Derry on Saturday (September 12, 2026).

“I work in education. I have watched, as we hear the word ‘reform’, children being pushed further and further away from the intervention that is needed in schools at every level,” she added.

“In fact, I feel and we feel in Aontú, the word 'reform' is being used to mask the collapse of services. We are watching it in hospitals quite regularly now where we are hearing ‘reform'.

People have had enough. That is why you are seeing what you are seeing in Causeway [Hospital]. You will see it in Daisy Hill [Hospital]. You will see it in SWAH [South West Acute Hospital]. You will see it across this country because people have had enough of being ignored.

“They are now waking up to the fact division is being pushed, no more so than here in the North and no more so than in the last month. Division is being pushed to cover up the collapse of our services; to cover up what is really going on behind the scenes; and to cover up the election promises that were made a few years ago to people that have not been followed through on.

“The people on the ground, the public services, the workers, the farmers, the people that drive our economy, our families have been ignored for too long. There is a shift and we are part of that,” said Gemma Brolly.

Party leader Peadar Tóibín described Sinn Féin as being locked in a “downward spiral” in relation to the delivery of public services.

“In recent times we have heard Sinn Féin sabre rattling about the future of Stormont. We see Unionists sabre rattling around Drumcree. I think those two actions are designed to push people into polar [opposite] camps, to buttress the support of Sinn Féin and the DUP,” he added.

“One of the major problems with the system currently is it is based on northern representatives going to London, like the peasants of old, cap in hand, looking for a few extra pence. As a result, we have this downward spiral in investment and public services. Hospital services are being closed; children with disabilities are not able to get the services they need; housing provision is really, really slow; even the building of infrastructure.

“In practically all of the socio-economic key success factors there are now, the South is running far ahead of the North, in terms of people’s length of life, infant mortality, income per capita, and that is because of the mismanagement of Sinn Féin and the other political parties.

“Aontú is far more ambitious. We believe we should see the devolution of tax [raising] powers from London to Belfast. Scotland raises 23% of its income from taxation locally, Wales 10% of its income from taxation locally, and the North it is 6%, and if we are locked into that funding model, and Sinn Féin is locked into that system, we are going to see things getting worse for the next number of years.

“I carried out a report on the All Ireland economy a number of years ago. I interviewed about 100 people from different backgrounds, from businesses, from trade unions, from farmers, and healthcare services, and all of them agreed, first and foremost, if we planned together, funded together and delivered services together, there would be better services, which would improve people’s lives and be cheaper to run,” said Mr Tóibín.

“We also need to get to a situation where we have in this jurisdiction the same corporation tax level as the Southern state. Stormont can actually change corporation taxes if it wants. It is in their gift to do it but they have to make that strong step to be able to accept responsibility for next year’s incomes coming in.

“But if we obviously have access to the European market, if we have the same corporation taxes as the South, there is a lower labour cost and a lower property cost here in the North of Ireland, there is nothing stopping a turbo-boosting of foreign direct investment into this part of Ireland, which I believe would create the jobs, create the prosperity, create the tax receipts necessary to invest into our hospitals, into our education and into our infrastructure,” said Mr Tóibín.

Mr Tóbín revealed Aontú was aiming to field 10 candidates in May’s Assembly elections and 15 candidates in the Council elections.

“If we win Stormont seats it will be a political revolution in this part of Ireland. There will be a new force that is actually holding the system to account,” he added.

Asked about the Dáil election, Mr Tóibín said Aontú’s current standing in the polls of 8% could “on a good day should translate into about a dozen Dáil seats”.

In terms of a possible future Government in the Republic of Ireland, Mr Tóibín said he did not want to see Fianna Fáil or Fine Gael back in government. He also ruled out going into government with Fine Gael.

“We think that both political parties have done enormous damage to the country in the last while,” he added.

“Fine Gael has been in power now for 15 years and in that time there has been significant damage done to people’s livelihoods.

“In terms of Fianna Fáil, we would find it very difficult with Micheál Martin. It is unlikely though Micheál Martin will be the leader of Fianna Fáil in the next year. We will wait until we see the colour of their policies to decide in the next number of months.

On the subject of Irish Unity, Mr Toíbín said “power should be given to the elected representatives of the people of the North of Ireland to decide when a referendum is held”.

He added: “That would put the idea of self-determination, which is writ large in the Good Friday Agreement, back into the system.

“At the heart of the Good Friday Agreement was the idea that the people of the North of Ireland would decide their future and it is quite incredible we have had a British Prime Minister and a Secretary of State who, in their own words, admit that the current threshold is opaque.

“Nobody seems to know exactly what levels have to be achieved in terms of support before a referendum is carried.

“But I do think we are at a historic moment. We are at a touching point for the first time in generations of the ability to achieve full Irish independence, full Irish self-determination, and Unity,” said Mr Toíbín.